President Vladimir Putin appeared to trivialize the potential military acquisition of Ukraine’s Sumy region during his visit to Russia’s Kursk region in the southwest, despite the Kremlin’s claims of seeking a negotiated resolution to the conflict.

This moment was captured in a video released by the state-owned news agency TASS, where a local official from the Glushkovsky district, which borders Ukraine, remarked to Putin: “Sumy should belong to us.”

“We cannot exist as if we are on some sort of peninsula. We need more of our people [Russians]. At least in Sumy,” added the official, Pavel Zolotarev. “With you as our commander-in-chief, victory is within reach.”

Zolotarev’s comment was made after Putin inquired about how far Russian forces should advance against Ukrainian troops from the border.

With a smile and a wave toward nearby officials, Putin humorously noted that his appointment of Alexander Khinshtein as acting governor of the Kursk region was aligned with this goal: “That’s why we chose Alexander Yevseyevich. He wants more of everything too.”

This statement prompted laughter among the officials present.

Putin’s remarks followed reports indicating that Russian negotiators had threatened to take control of Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions during direct peace talks in Turkey.

While Moscow has not officially claimed either region, both have faced substantial Russian military actions in recent months.

Earlier this month, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced plans to establish a “buffer zone” in Ukraine’s Sumy region, echoing the rationale used for its offensive in Kharkiv.

This military announcement came after Putin’s previous call in Kursk for forces to drive the Ukrainian army further away from the Russian border.

During this visit, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, informed Putin that Kursk had been “completely liberated” with assistance from North Korean troops, following a surprise incursion by Ukrainian forces into parts of the border area in August.